Improvement in the manufacture of metallic leaf



UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. OUTERBRIDGE, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC LEAF.

specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,209, dated December18, 1877 application filed October 3, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Annxmnn E. Ournn- BRIDGE, Jr., of Philadelphia, inthe county of lihiladelpln'a, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand Improved Method and Process of Manufacturing Gold-Leaf, Silver-Leaf, and other Metallic Leaf; and I do declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof.

The ordinary process of manufacturing. goldleaf 1s entirely mechanicalbeing effected by beating pieces of rolled gold ribbon between sheets ofvellum, or of prepared paper, and gold-heaters skins, which, aftersuccessive processes of annealing and reheating, produces the thin filmknown as gold-leaf.

Silver-leaf is produced in an analogous man- Del.

' I deposit a coating or film of metal, of the desired thinness toconstitute the leaf, upon an extended smooth conducting surface as avehole to receive the same, which vehicle is capable of beingsubsequently removed by chemicals, heat, or by any other similar meanswhich will not afi'ect the film plated thereon.

The substances which I have found preferable for use as vehicles arecopper in thin sheets, metal fusible at a low temperature, shellac, wax,or paper. When the vehicle need is not itself a conductor ofelectricity, it is necessary to coat one side with bronzepowder, orother equivalent conducting-sun 1ace,'upon which the film of metal canbe deposited. I then remove the substance upon which such film has beenplated by heat or any suitable solvent, which is capable of removingitwithout affecting the film plated thereon.

In the case of a gold film plated upon one side of a sheet of copper, Iusually float it,

copper side downward, upon a bath of dilute nitric acid or ofperchloride of iron. This gradually dissolves the copper and leaves thegold-leaf intact, floating on the surface of the liquid. I then lift itupon a sheet of glass, paper, or other suitable material, and float itupon the surface of water, which removes all trace of the acid. Theleafiis then lifted from the water in a similar manner, dried, andpacked in books between sheets of prepared paper, or in any suitablemanner..

In the case of gold films platedupon sheets of paper, shellac, wax, &c.,prepared with a surface capable of conducting electricity, I proceed ina similar manner, using for paper the bath of dilute nitric acid orpcrchloride of iron, which soaks through the paper and dissolves thebronze -powder coating, thus freeing the film, and for the sheets ofshellac, wax. 800.. using alcohol. benzine, or .any other equivalentsolvent. I

In the case of gold films plated upon metal fusible at a lowtemperature, I apply heat sufficient to liquefy such metal, therebyenabling me to remove the gold film freed from the metal upon which itwas plated.

In the case of wax, or other substance which may be either dissolved bychemicals or easily melted by heat, I sometimes use one method andsometimes the other. A

In the of films of silver or other metal, I proceed in an analogousmanner, using one or other of the abovementioned substances upon whichto plate such films, and using the appropriate method, above referredto, to remove such substance, taking care that the solvent employed forthat purpose be one which will not injuriously afiect the film. The leafmay then be annealed in the ordinary manner, if desired.

The advantages of my new process over the old method are, first the easypracticability of producing films of any desired superfices, shape, anddegree of thinness, even thinner than such leaf can be prepared by theold method;.second, the superior quality of the metallic film or leafproduced in fineness, strength, and homogeneity of texture, and

uniformity of thickness; third, the compara tive rapidity of production,saving of waste and simplicity of action, thereby avoiding, ill a greatmeasure, the necessity for skilled mannal labor, and enabling itspreparation at a mam m; fourth, by b'urnishing or giving -a high polishto the surface on which the fllm is to be deposited, the leaf can beproduced with an equally bright surface.

Having thus described my invention, I do not claim the process ofelectroplating; nor do I claim the method of solvin or melting thesubstances upon which the is plated; nor do! .claim the process commonlyknown as electrotyping, but

What Iclaim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patenui i.

The processof obtaining metallic leaf by electro-deposition of a film ofmetal upon a suitable vehicle, and the subsequent removal or suchvehicle by heat, solvents, or other means which do not injure the film,substantially as forth.

E. OUTERBRIDGE, JR.

R 3d one 03

